Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Mufti, can you explain the ruling of a person repeating his recitation of the Quran several times in prayer?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
In the recitation of the Quran, we are commanded to contemplate on the verses in the Quran. There are numerous evidences which encourages the act of the contemplation of the Quran as stated in the statement of Allah SWT:
كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ
“[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses,”
Surah Sad (29)
Among the ways the scholars have stated to contemplate the verses recited is by repeating them several times. This is in accordance with a hadith narrated by Abu Zar al-Ghifari, where he said:
قَامَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ بِآيَةٍ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ يُرَدِّدُهَا
The Prophet (ﷺ) stood reciting a Verse and repeating it until morning came. That Verse was:
إِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
“If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You, are the All- Mighty, the All-Wise.’
Sunan Ibn Majah (1350)
Imam al-Nawawi Rahimahullah used the above hadith as evidence in presenting his opinion that it is sunnah for a person to repeat his recitation of the Quran with the purpose of contemplating them. He stated this in his book Al-Tibyan fi Adab Hamalat Al-Quran (pg. 86).
The same is stated by Imam al-Nawawi where he cited several narrations that showed that salafussoleh also repeated their recitations of the Quran in their prayer. Among the companions of the Prophet PBUH, a person named Tamim al-Dari RA repeated the recitation of verse 21 surah al-Jaatsiyah in his prayer. The same for Asma’ binti Abu Bakr al-Siddiq who repeated the recitation of verse 27 surah al-Thur in her prayer. Furthermore, Ibnu Mas’ud RA repeated the recitation of verse 114 surah Taha and numerous other salaf also did this. Refer Al-Tibyan fi Adab Hamalat Al-Quran, Al-Nawawi (pg. 87- 88).
Conclusion
As a conclusion, we would like to state that it is permissible to repeat the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Furthermore, it is sunnah if one does it to contemplate and understand the meanings of the verses recited in prayer. We would also like to state that it is permissible in both sunnah or fardhu prayers.
Lastly, may Allah SWT give us all the correct understanding in religion. Amin.